Is There a Place in Heaven?
by Krystallenever
Summary: Never belonging somewhere and leading a lonely life was something she was used to now. Her only friend was the weapon she carried in her hand. It was the only thing she could trust and believe in during these times of war. She believed she could change the world with just herself and that sword. However, she was wrong. There was more to believe in despite the circumstances. ZukoXOC
1. Prologue

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

He was the only hope they had, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was the Avatar, master of all four elements. He was the one who could put a stop to everyone's misery by defeating the Fire Nation. She wanted to be him. However, she didn't believe in him. He was a god-like figure. She didn't believe in such myths. So she became what she wanted to be: a real person who would stop the ongoing war. She knew she was never be strong enough, but what she was doing gave people hope and a reason to resist. Besides, it was better to fight than to sit still if both lead to death anyways.

She wasn't the enemy. She was the Fire Nation. Her entourage never understood why she was going against her own people. She didn't want to confront them. She wanted peace. She lost faith in her nation and so she traveled to each and every land to help people in their fight against her people. She had a kindness and empathy that were no longer existent in the Fire Nation, especially among the elite. She felt no sense of superiority in comparison to other nations. She felt no pride in being feared. She felt less like the Fire Nation than her appearances suggested. Her long black silky hair and bright golden eyes were the only things that made her of the Fire Nation. However, the softness shown through her eyes were nothing like them. There was never any intention to kill coming from those eyes. There was warmth exuding from them. It was something inherent to fire, yet the fire people thought of now was the one that burned everything down to ashes.

She wasn't the enemy, but she became branded as one. She belonged nowhere. Her physical appearance betrayed her kindness as others would assume she was the enemy. Her own people placed a price on her head. Her fire started dying as she kept it hidden for so long. Her only friend was the sword she carried by her side at all times. She never let go of it, not even when she slept. She forgot what it meant to have a good night sleep. She couldn't recall the last time she interacted with someone normally. She forgot what it felt like to have a family. It was the sad life she had picked for herself. It was the tragedy she had written out for herself.

* * *

 **End of Prologue**

* * *

I hope this will become a good read!

Let me know how you feel about it in the reviews section!

xox

Krystal


	2. Chapter 1: The Banished Prince

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Banished Prince**

* * *

News of the Fire Nation prince being banished from his own nation were spread like a wild fire across the lands. It was hard to tell what the actual truth was and what was invented to spice the story up. Some said that he was no actually banished, that it was simply a front so that he could spy on the other nations. Others believed that he was indeed banished and that he was now going to lead a rebel army to fight against the Fire Nation. All the stories seemed as unrealistic as the next. She simply chose to ignore those stories and to focus on helping people.

She was now in the Earth Kingdom, on a small island just south of the great city of Ba Sing Se. Many fishermen came to the island to catch crabs and other crustaceans. The island had a large port for that very reason. It was a great location to receive news from the mainland and from different nations. It was also ran by Fire Nation as they had taken over the island a few years back for its location and water ways. The officials often mistreated the locals and the fishermen who weren't from the Fire Nation. Taxes were higher for them. There were fees imposed to them that weren't even lawful. Some of them would try to fight the Fire Nation. It often ended either in detention of the person who caused the riot or in the death of that same person. There was never a happy ending to it. She tried her best to give them a decent ending at the very least. Armed with only her sword and her mask, she would fight the officials in order to allow the person who called for justice to run. Officials didn't care who they were nor did they remember their victims. They only cared about the benefits. As long as they managed to run and hide for a few days, it would be over. They would manage to keep their lives and their liberty. The fishermen who got into trouble would simply never return again. They would rather struggle finding food and stock to sell than have to confront the Fire Nation over and over again.

She never feared getting caught. She knew that she played with life and death. She couldn't care less. She believed in a life worth living and not in surviving simply for the sake of surviving. Because of those reasons, she cared very little about her body and appearance. Her face was always behind a mask anyways. She couldn't let others identify her as Fire Nation nor for who she was. As long as she wanted to do what she had set out to do, it was best for her face to be unknown and, even, forgotten. Her body was full of scars. It wasn't one of a young aristocratic lady. She could have had the smoothest and fairest skin in the nation, but she chose the life that lead to her scarred body. She didn't hate them. The scars were a reminder that she was still human and that she was, indeed, doing something. It was just not pleasant to the eye.

* * *

An anchor was dropped heavily into the water that day as a warship arrived on the island. From afar, she watched the scene unfold itself. It was usually always bad news when warships made a stop on the island. Often, it meant that another village was going to be under attack soon. If it was the case, she often jumped aboard the ship and went to wherever they were going and tried to save as many innocent lives as possible. Unlike the other instances of warships anchoring to the island for a night or two, this one was by itself. It wasn't part of a fleet. The warship wasn't filled with men either. As they got off their ship, she could count only around 20 men. Their leader was seemingly a young man, not much older than her from what she could tell. He had a constant frown on his face. He had fire in his eyes. He looked angry despite his soft facial features. He walked with confidence, yet there was an air of insecurity about him as he tended to look around him quite often. Walking next to him was a plump old man who seemed to not care about anything in the world. His face was relaxed. He was the complete opposite of the younger man. He walked with light footsteps. He seemed happy and content with his life. He didn't look around nor did he care about the eyes that were now all on them. He simply minded his own business as he walked through the fish market of the port.

Slowly, they made their way closer to where she was. Then, they walked passed her. The old man seemed to have noticed her. He turned his head slightly and looked at her before continuing his way without further care given. The young man did not see her at all. He was the type who looked around but couldn't actually see what was going on around him. He only saw what he wanted to see. For some reason, she sensed that they would be trouble.

Their ship stayed at the harbor for the next few days, meaning they had all remained on the island during that time. She didn't run into them during that time. She heard a few things here and there as she walked around town and grabbed food, but she didn't know if any of those rumors were actually true.

That morning, she was washing her hair by the water when she heard screaming coming from a nearby house and the breaking of dishes on the ground. She quickly grabbed her mask and tightened it around her head. She ran as fast as she could in direction of the sound. There was a few a soldiers on site as she arrived, threatening a poor old woman to burn down her house if she didn't pay rent immediately. The landlord was also present and had a disgusting smirk on his face. He couldn't care less if the property was burnt down. It cost nothing for a house to be built on the island. She rushed in between the woman and the soldiers and asked them to take pity on the poor lady. They shoved her aside and tried to continue bullying the defenseless human that was behind her. She didn't allow them to push her to the side just like that. As one of them had his hand on her, she grabbed his wrist and threw him over her shoulder, resulting in a cry of pain by the soldier. The remaining tried to come at her with their weapons pulled out. She readied herself for the fight as she glanced at the woman once again, instructing her through her eyes to take shelter back in the house. She was known on the island for coming to people's rescue. Although people had doubts as to who she was, they were still grateful someone came to their defense in times of need. However, that woman didn't know that this was probably the last time she would be able to protect them as this confrontation certainly would lead to her having to leave the island permanently. At the signal of their leader, the men charged towards her. They didn't put up much of a fight as she was able to disarm all of them quickly and push them out of the property's land as well. Some of them fell onto the ground as they were defeated. She put her weapon away and threw them the money that the lady owed the landlord for her rent. It wasn't her own. She actually stole it from their pouches as they were fighting. However, they did not have to know about it. They only had to feel like they were paid so that they would leave the poor woman alone, at least, for another month. The landlord quickly grabbed the money and left the scene as it was all that he wanted. The soldiers were still groaning and moaning of pain. As she took a step away, she was immediately stopped by a fireball that landed right at her feet. She looked a little further and recognized the fire bender as being the young man from the warship that had arrived a few days ago. She glared at him through the slits of her mask before choosing to ignore it and to keep on walking away. He stopped her once again.

"Capture her!" She heard some of the soldiers tell him.

She tried to make a run for it, but he had no problem catching up to her. She pulled out her sword and started fighting against him. It wasn't an easy deed as he was quite skilled both in fire bending and hand to hand combat. Although she had experience fighting here and there, she wasn't the best warrior out there. She knew that very well. She was actually fairly weak when it came to brute strength. She mostly relied on her agility and nimbleness to fight. She fought best in smaller spaces as her opponents usually had a harder time moving around. However, they were out in the open, on a beach. He easily overpowered her. As she tried to dodge his fireballs, one of them, unfortunately, grazed the side of her arm. She quickly removed her jacket as to avoid any further injury. The burn was superficial, but it still stung. As she threw her jacket away, her bare arms were revealed and the multiple scars that she bared were shown to the world. She was never bothered by them though. She didn't care much about her appearance. The young man, however, seemed shocked at the amount of scars she had. His stance changed as he was no longer in a threatening pose.

"Why did you attack those soldiers back there?" He asked, finally trying to understand what was actually going on.

"They were bullying and robbing from a poor old woman." She replied as she put her sword away, sensing he was no longer trying to catch her and turn her to the authorities.

"So you were being nosy." He said.

She didn't reply to that. Instead, she walked over to her burnt jacket that was now being pushed back to shore by the water it had landed in. She grabbed it and swung it over her shoulder, trying to cover up the scars as much as possible as she began feeling uncomfortable that he was staring so much.

"I'm still talking to you." He then added as his voice sounded a little annoyed.

She could tell he was quite short-tempered. He needed to feel respected, yet he was not the most polite person out there. However, she respected him for the fact that he seemed to be understanding why she had intervene and so was not going to let the authority get to her. She didn't really expect it from the Fire Nation.

"It's embarrassing, isn't it? Having such scars…" He said as he brought his hand to his face.

His face was marked by a burn scar. It looked like it was still fresh. She chuckled without much emotion in the sound of her laugh. Scars to her weren't embarrassing. They simply weren't nice to look at and they gave opportunity for people to ask questions. Otherwise, she didn't dislike them. She worn them like a badge of honor.

"How did you get those?" He then asked her.

"The same way I almost had another one while fighting you earlier." She replied.

It felt like it was the first conversation she had had in a long time. Usually, she barely responded to people. She would nod or simply ignore whoever was in front of her. Yet, he managed to make her talk through only a few questions.

"I got mine from my father." He told her.

He seemed desperate to share. Perhaps it was the reason why he asked her about her scars in the first place. She looked down to the ground. She actually thought someone was interested in her after all this time. She was wrong. She forgot how to read people. He was only seeking her attention. It became easy since they shared a common trait. It was only physical though. He felt differently about his scar. He was ashamed of it while she was proud of hers. She shook her head and walked away. Through that interaction, she also found out who he was. He had too much pride and ego, yet he was out there with only a few men in his crew. He was none other than Zuko, the banished prince.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 1**

* * *

Thank you for reading!

Don't forget to review/favorite/follow!

xox

Krystal


	3. Chapter 2: A Small World

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A Small World**

* * *

If there was something that surprised her, it was the fact that he allowed her to leave the island. She thought that he would report her to the authority despite understanding her actions. She believed that he simply didn't want to dirty his hands. Sitting in the rocking small boat, she wondered if he was a better person than he appeared to be. She closed her eyes and fell asleep as the sound of the waves hitting the boat became a lullaby to her.

She wasn't where she was headed next. However, it didn't matter much to her. It had been over a year now since she embarked on this never-ending journey. Wherever her feet would take her, it was where she would settle down for a while. She never stayed in one place for too long as she knew that it would bring an end to her journey. There was a part of her who wants to put an end to this, but another part of her felt like there was still much for her to do in the world. Perhaps it was more the loneliness that was getting to her than her lack of desire to pursue her charitable work.

As she got off the boat, she thanked the elderly man that had agreed her to ride in his boat. He thanked her back as he remembered her coming to the rescue of some fellow fishermen on the island a few days ago. He refused to take the money she handed him. She thanked him once again as she walked away. She looked around her, trying to figure out where she was now. They were heading east as they left the island, but this was unknown land to her. She wandered through the land only to realize that it was deserted. There wasn't really any sign of human life around. As she stepped deeper into the land, she finally came across three tall mountains. They were so high that the clouds hid their peaks. Something drew her to the place. She couldn't help but to climb the mountains facades and to explore its tops. The moment she managed to get above the clouds, a strong wind blew through her hair, untying the mask that she had on. It fell from her face. She tried to catch it in its fall, but ultimately failed. As she looked up, she saw architecture like she had never seen before. It had an elegance to it, yet it was modest. She figured it had to be one of the air temples. If rumors were true, nobody lived there. Her mask wasn't needed. She kept going upward to explore this place that kept drawing her in.

The scene in front of her was just like a fairytale, yet the moment she turned around to look of what was left of the air temple, it was much more like a nightmare. Vines had grown through the cracks of the once beautiful infrastructure. Dust had accumulated on the ground. Dead leaves were sparsely dispersed on the marbled floors. It was so cold being there. She was once again reminded of her loneliness. Another gust of wind blew through her hair. The dust got into her eyes and she couldn't help but close them, causing tears to roll down her cheeks. As they did, they created a snowball effect and she kept on crying. She was, after all, just a child. She shouldn't have to shoulder the responsibility to maintaining peace in the world by herself. She felt stupid thinking that the little things she did here and there would make a difference. As much as it hurt, it felt good for her to finally let go of her emotions for once. She took a deep breath and, instantly, stopped the flow of her tears. She decided to explore the temple a little more since she was lucky enough to stumble upon it.

Pushing through any doors caused rocks to fall down onto the ground. Things were crumbling down as they hadn't been maintained for a century now. However, the paintings on the wall depicting the history of the Air nomads who once lived there were still as vibrant as ever. There was so much joy shown on their faces and so much freedom in their movements. It was a shame it was all taken away from them. It pained her to imagine the terror that must have fallen upon them when the fire nation went after them. As she got to the center tower, she saw a figure that resembled a human sitting right in the center. She assumed it was a statue as many were present in the temple. She got closer to it to see whose representation it was. To her surprise, what she thought was a statue was actually a human. He greeted her with a smile. Instinctively, she covered her face with her hair and took a few steps away.

"Why are you so scared, child?" He asked her.

She pushed her hair back behind her ears, realizing how silly she had acted. He was right. Why was she so afraid that he would see her face? He didn't seem to cause her any harm. Furthermore, he was an elderly man who was so skinny it looked as though he hadn't eaten in days. She didn't reply to him, not as a disrespect, but she truly didn't know what to say. He smiled at her and asked her to sit next to him.

"Come watch the stars with me. There's no better place in this world to watch the stars. There's absolutely nothing obstructing our view here. There's no war here, not anymore, at least. Come. Come enjoy this quiet moment."

She did as she was told and took a seat next to him. It was indeed relaxing to simply look at the night sky that was filled with little bright dots. She enjoyed feeling the breeze as she stargazed. It was as if, truly, there was peace all around them.

"So, what brought you here, little one?"

"I don't know."

"Good answer!" He said enthusiastically.

She turned her head and looked at him as if he was insane. He chuckled at her baffled look. He stood up and asked her to walk with him. She did as instructed. They walked down a few staircases and entered this untouched area where flowers were still blooming and the grass was still green. There was no sign of the Fire Nation having gone through the area. As they walked a little further, there was a waterfall through which the moon reflected its glistening beauty.

"I was here the other day, meditating, and I had a vision that a young girl would come pay me a visit. She was lost and was seeking refuge."

"I'm not lost." She quickly replied.

"I didn't say that it was you."

She stayed silent. She was too quick to assume that he was talking about her. He chuckled again.

"Seeing how fast you responded, I fear that you are actually lost, little one. Since destiny brought you here, why don't you tell me about yourself? Maybe this old man can help guide you."

She hesitated to speak. She wasn't lost. She knew where she was. She was at the Eastern Air Temple. He couldn't be an air bender since all air nomads were killed in the process of the Fire Nation trying to find the Avatar. Furthermore, the Eastern Air Temple was known to be the home of female air nomads. He had to be an outsider. With all those thoughts filling her mind, she was unable to process everything and to speak. As she began losing track of the present moment, she was brought back by his warm laughter.

"What is your name?" He first asked her.

"Suyin." She replied almost instantly.

"I'm Pathik. I've been living here for a while now since I know I have to be here until I meet someone. Where are you from?"

"I am from…" She hesitated.

"The Fire Nation." He said, completing her sentence. "I could tell by the gold in your eyes. They are very warm."

She looked at him in the eyes. It was the first time someone had complimented her on her eyes. Usually, the gold color of her eyes brought hatred towards her as people sensed that it was burning with the desire to gain. Others sensed that the gold was weak in eyes. It was the first time someone said something positive about that golden color.

"Why are you so far away from home?" He then asked her.

"I don't believe in what my nation desires. I didn't feel at home there."

"And so you are looking for a new home."

"No, I don't think I belong anywhere. I just want to compensate for what my people have done."

He smiled. She was so pure, so innocent, so good. It was a rare thing during such turbulent times. He patted her on the head and told her:

"You'll find a place eventually. Maybe this world is just too small for someone with such a big heart."

She smiled back. It had been a while since she smiled back at someone and felt it in her heart. She chose his answer as her own answer. At that moment, he looked away and towards the sky. His facial expression grew darker as though something bad had happened. She didn't let it bother her. She walked with lighter steps towards a mossy area and lied down. It was time to call it a night. She was exhausted from the climb and from being emotionally worked up. Pathik left her alone and headed back towards the temple where he was meditating. Walking away from Suyin, who was now peacefully asleep, he couldn't help but glance back. He foresaw that her life was going to be difficult. That was something that couldn't be changed. However, he believed she was meant to do great things. He sighed as he turned his head to the front and kept walking away.

The next morning came and she woke up feeling great for once. She wasn't feeling lethargic like she usually did. She stretched herself as she looked towards the temple where Pathik was probably at. It was time for her to bid him farewell. She never usually said goodbye to the people she encountered on her trip but he was different. He took the time to speak to her, to get to know her. He gave her words of advice and he complimented her. Those were all things Suyin forgot about since she left the capital of the Fire Nation. Even when she was there, her parents never cared much for her. Her father, a high rank general was almost never home. Her mother was more preoccupied with socializing with the Royals to ensure her husband's good standing in the army rather than the well-being of her one and only daughter. She had an older brother. However, he passed away when she was still just a child as he joined the army with her father as soon as he was deemed strong enough to fight.

Washing her face with the water from the waterfall she had rested next to, she felt refreshed and motivated to pursue her journey. She started making her way back to the temple to see Pathik. He was probably still sitting in the highest tower meditating. As she got closer to the tower, she saw smoke rising from it. Her heart started beating faster as she grew anxious at what had happened up there for there to be such thick smoke. There, Pathik was still sitting calmly in his meditative position, not caring that someone had just sent a fireball in his direction. He was surrounded by a group of men who all had their fists pointed in his direction. Suyin sneaked behind two of them and knocked them out as she made her way into the circle. She pulled out her sword and pointed it towards one of them she recognized as their leader. She had met him just a few days ago.

"Drop you sword." He told her. "We only want to capture the air bender."

Pathik chuckled and stood up from his sitting position. He got Suyin to lower her sword. Her grip remained firm on the handle however as she was uncertain if she would have to fight.

"I am not an air bender." Pathik told him. "I'm a simple guru who found that the spiritual energy here was quite attractive."

"Prove it." He said in a threatening tone as he sent another fireball towards him.

Without hesitation, Suyin jumped in front of Pathik and used fire bending to send that fire back at its creator. It had been a while since she used her fire bending. It wasn't something she felt comfortable doing as it betrayed her identity as being the enemy of all the other nations but her own. It felt good. It felt good to have warmth once again around her hands. With that, they entered the battle against each other. He didn't recognize her as the girl from the island that he had allowed to escape. He only saw her as the enemy now, the one standing between him and his glorious return to the Fire Nation. Suyin heard all about his banishment. Seeing how eager he was to win this fight, the rumors about his search for the lost Avatar had to be true. Although she was overpowered when she only used her sword to fight him, they were evenly matched when playing with fire. She almost had the upper hand as it came to her so very naturally. Before any of them could injure each other, somebody came in between them and stopped them both in one move. As Suyin lowered her fist, she saw that it was the old man who was part of his crew. She always respected the elderly. She quickly took a few steps back without further action. Meanwhile, Zuko still tried to continue the fight.

"Prince Zuko, no. This is an old friend. He isn't who you are looking for." The old man told him as he held him back.

He stopped as he let out a cry of anger. He was seemingly desperate to find the Avatar and to put an end to his newly begun journey. Pathik greeted the old man with a courteous bow. The elder man did the same. He then turned to Suyin and smiled at her. She then recognized him as the great general Iroh. Fallen from grace since his own son passed away from an injury during the siege of Ba Sing Se, to Suyin, he was a true hero to have chosen to mourn for his son rather than take victory at the expense of his son. It was one of thing she resented the most about her own father.

"We saw your father on the way here." Iroh told her. "He's doing well. He's actually returning to the capital very soon. I think he is planning on retiring from his fighting days and focusing on the politics of the Fire Nation instead. He was promoted to Prime Minister, you see."

"I guess Mother will be less lonely now with him there." She replied without an ounce of emotion shown on her face or in her voice.

She couldn't help but wonder at what expense his new position was acquired. She looked away and then towards Pathik who noticed her discomfort at the news immediately. Meanwhile Zuko seemed to not understand the current situation. He pressed his uncle to tell him who she was.

"She is the prime minister's daughter." He explained to his nephew.

"I heard that their daughter died drowning last year." Zuko said, surprised.

"Is that what my mother have been telling the royals?" Suyin asked. "I'm actually hunted by the Fire Nation for going against their army and protecting the innocents."

"So you are a traitor." He said as he angrily stepped towards her. "I guess our fight isn't over then."

"Prince Zuko, I believe your current status isn't much different from mine. You are banished from what I understand, aren't you? For speaking against Fire Lord Ozai?"

He grabbed her by the collar at those words. He still held prestige to his title as the Fire Nation's prince despite all that had happened, while she hated her status as an aristocrat of that nation. They were indeed too different to even be able to speak to each other. It was also out of her character to say so much. However, she hated the word traitor. She never betrayed her nation. All she wanted was for justice and peace to reign across the four nations. She wasn't fighting to cause the downfall of her nation. She couldn't accept the word traitor to be linked to her person. As they glared into each other's eyes, both filled with hatred towards one and other, it was only a matter of seconds before either one attacked the other. Iroh could sense the tension in the air and quickly separated them before another fight exploded.

"Uncle! We should turn her in to the Fire Nation!"

"No." He simply answered as he turned around and started walking away, trying to drag Zuko along with him.

He also gave sign to the remaining crew members to come along and to leave Pathik and Suyin alone. She straightened her collar as she turned towards Pathik and gave him a deep bow out of respect.

"I'm leaving now too." She told him. "Thank you for everything. Coming here allowed me to untangle some of the knots I kept making as I made my way through the world."

"I'm glad to hear that. Hopefully, you'll remember this old man and this place when you encounter some difficult times again. Remember to look towards the sky." He told her as he walked towards her to give her a warm embrace. "Try not to make things more difficult for yourself. Forgive when you can. Forget when it gets too painful. Those are the only words of guidance I can give you."

"I won't ever forget you." She replied as she bowed once again and turned around taking her first few steps away.

He looked at her back as she walked further and further away from him. All he could see was a hunched back from the weight of the world she was trying to carry on her shoulders.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 2**

* * *

Thank you for reading this 2nd chapter!

Let me know how you like it (or dislike it) so far!

xox

Krystal


	4. Chapter 3: Around The Fire

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Around The Fire**

* * *

It was the last stone to climb down from the Eastern Air Temple. It was with a heavy heart that she took that last step down and away from a place she finally felt welcomed. Although her interaction with Pathik was brief, she couldn't help but to feel a sense of belonging there. Meanwhile, the news of her father being promoted to prime minister made her feel uneasy. Fire Lord Ozai was known to be a vicious ruler. Add to that a ruthless aide and one can simply imagine what the rules will be like. Things were already bad as it was. The moment her foot hit the ground, a fireball was sent towards her. She barely dodged it as she pulled out her sword instinctively. She looked up and saw Prince Zuko, having remained behind from his crew, now picking a fight with her once again.

"Tell me again why the daughter of the prime minister is out here by herself, running away from the Fire Nation?"

She did not reply to him. She chose to run away instead. She felt as though nothing she said would make him understand her point of view. He was, after all, the son of the Fire Lord who is trying to rule all over the world at all cost. As she thought about it, she shook her head. Parents shouldn't define who their children are. She, more than anyone else, should know that. She defied her parents and left her home country to fight for the rest of the world. She shouldn't be assuming things about Zuko either. However, she couldn't help but believe that those thoughts weren't wrong, judging from his actions.

He chased after her, burning everything in the way to get to her quicker. She noticed the smoke rising from the forest and stopped herself from running any further. Enough damage was done. Who knew what creatures lived within those trees? She couldn't allow for more home to be destroyed.

"Tired of running, I see." He said.

"I could run all day if I wanted to, but look around you. Even if you were blind, can't you smell that smoke? Can't you feel the destructive heat?" She asked him.

He looked around. They were surrounded by fire. He smirked at her. As they stood there face to face, the sky started grumbling. It was originally such a sunny day, yet now, the clouds were dark and closing in on them. Lightning began appearing and rain started pouring down, stopping the fire from causing more damage to the forest. Suyin looked up to sky and thanked the gods for saving the trees. He couldn't help but notice how kind hearted she was. He forgot such kindness could exist in the Fire Nation. However, he thought of that kindness as something dumb. It angered him that someone could be so stupid. He wasn't completely wrong. Out of nowhere a liger jumped towards Suyin as she was distracted. Landing on her, she barely was able to push him back before he could bite her head off. Zuko quickly jumped in and scared it away with some fire before pulling Suyin up onto her feet and running away while holding onto her hand.

They escaped into a cave. It protected them from the beast and from the pouring rain. There was a few dry wood blocks in the cave. They used it to light it up and warm themselves after being drenched. They didn't exchange a single word since they stepped into the cave. They all did what they needed to do to set up camp since the rain didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. Finally, everything was done. They sat down by the fire to keep warm as they listened to the storm going on outside.

"You had a sword in your hand, you know. You could have killed that beast easily with your skills." He then said.

"It only tried to hurt me because it felt threatened."

"So you will protect something that wants to harm you because you think you are at fault? That's the dumbest I've ever heard."

"I wasn't at fault, you were. Do I have to remind you that you put his home on fire?"

"So you are saying that I put you in danger?" He said as his voice was raising.

"Sorry, that's not what I meant. I should actually thank you for helping me." She said as she brought her knees closer to her face, looking away.

He sighed as his anger dissipated. He threw another branch into the fire to keep it going. They remained quiet again for a little while. She avoided any eye contact with him. He couldn't help but to look at her. There was something about her that made him keep wanting to know her more and more. It was a story that was fascinating to him. All the aristocratic girls that he knew from the Fire Nation were pampered princesses. They hated it even when a hair was out of place. She was probably raised in the same environment, yet she was so different. She cared very little about herself and much more about others. She was kind, warm and modest. He knew all these things just from looking at her. However, he was uncertain if he liked those traits or hated it. Perhaps it was because he couldn't believe there was such a person in front of him.

"So…" He started, unsure how to phrase his question in a proper manner. "What made you leave the Fire Nation?"

"There are many reasons. One of them was that I couldn't relate to the narrative that I was being told about the Fire Nation."

"Such words would result in your sentencing as a traitor." He reminded her.

"I knew that all too well, that's why I left as to not implicate my family." She told him, still looking away and into the fire rather than into his eyes. "We were just so different."

"I can see that. I remember meeting General Yan when I was just a child. He had very little emotion. He was cold, yet he was hot-headed in battle, always wanting to claim victory in every battle. He and my father always got along very well. They shared similar views for this world."

"He indeed always wanted to win. He didn't care who he had to sacrifice to do so."

That's when Zuko remembered that General Yan had a son who died during one of his battles against the Earth Kingdom. His army came out victorious, but he came home with his son's corpse. He didn't shed a tear at the funeral. He stood strong there. His wife was the same. She didn't cry. She was pale as a ghost, but she didn't cry. They greeted everyone and treated their son like a war hero. He was just about their age when he passed away. Zuko went to the funeral, but didn't see Suyin then. She wasn't there. She couldn't face her older brother's death, so she was hiding in her bedroom crying. She was told not to cry that day, that she should be proud that her family had such a dedicated soldier among them. She couldn't be like them. She loved her brother dearly. He was the only one who understood her kind heart. He never blamed her for being soft like she was. When she was scared at night, he would sing her lullabies that her mother never cared to sing for her. He taught her swordsmanship so that she could protect herself in times of war. Those thoughts flushed back into her brain as she looked into the fire and tears started filling her eyes again. She coughed and blamed it on the smoke as she wiped away whatever water had come up to the surface of her lower lids.

"What about you? I only heard you were banished from the Fire Nation. I never heard the reason why."

"I fought my father in an Agni Kai." Zuko simply said.

They went silent again. An Agni Kai was often the last resort used to solve a dispute in the Fire Nation. One could potentially die in such a duel. In Zuko's case, it was his face that took the hit. For the first time, Suyin looked at his face closely. The burn scar was indeed still fresh.

"It must still hurt." She then said gently.

"My pride hurts a lot more." He replied coldly. "I was a prince. I had everything. I am now left with nothing. Just tasked with something everybody knows is impossible to accomplish. Finding the Avatar. He hasn't been seen in a century!"

"You still have your uncle. I can tell he cares about you very much." She replied. "At the very least, you still have that one family member who truly loves you."

"I should feel blessed then?" He asked with anger in his voice once again as he glared at her.

She quickly looked away. She hated confrontation, especially verbal confrontation like these. It made her very uncomfortable. She swallowed her saliva anxiously as she hoped that he would let it go and not pursue the conversation.

"Answer me!" He then said loudly as the fire in the pit rose to the ceiling of the cave before disappearing completely.

They were in complete darkness now, except for the few little specks of fire left from the ashes in the pit. Soon enough, those disappeared too. Suyin sat there in the dark not knowing what to say. Zuko was up on his feet, breathing angrily. He thought she could understand him since she was also away from home, stripped from her wealth and prestige. He forgot that it was a choice for her. She wanted to leave that life. He, on the other hand, was forced of doing so. He couldn't see what he had beside him: a loving father figure who was more of a parent to him than his own father would ever be. She envied his life while he hated his. They were not on the same page at all. They caught glimpses of each other's personality, but they would never come to an understanding in their current state. A gust of wind then blew into the cave making them both shiver from the cold. Suyin made a little fire within her hands to keep herself warm once again. Zuko did the same. They didn't have to share the warmth of a communal fire pit any longer. They each walked to a corner of the cave and sat there by themselves.

She rested her head against the rocks in the cave. They were cold, but, at least, they gave support to her head. They just had to wait it out for the rain to stop and they could each go their own ways once again. He no longer had the desire to capture her. She just wanted to get away from him. She fell asleep just like that as her mind grew tired of thinking. The fire in hand died out as she closed her eyes. He noticed from his end of the cave. He didn't want to care, but he couldn't help it. He walked over and sat by her side, holding the fire still between the two of them. He truly did not want anything to do with her anymore, but it was an automatic reaction of his body and mind. He was unable to fight the urge of caring for her.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 3**

* * *

Thank you reading yet another chapter!

I hope you are enjoying it so far!

xox

Krystal


	5. Chapter 4: When Kindness Harms

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 4: When Kindness Harms**

* * *

He had fallen asleep as well. He was now resting his head on her shoulder. Before they knew it, the storm had passed and the sun was seen once again. She woke up in a spasm as she was having a nightmare. Her breathing was irregular and so was her heart rate. Zuko did not wake up from her sudden movement. His head was still on her shoulder. She looked at him and remained still to let him sleep a little more. She figured she was able to stay warm thanks to him. He probably stayed up late to ensure her well-being. He wasn't as bad as he made himself seem. Suyin grew to like Zuko despite their differences. She would never admit to it though.

He was frowning in his sleep as if something was bothering him. But then again, he frowned most of time, unhappy with his current situation. She sat there still for another hour. Her shoulder was starting to feel numb. She still didn't dare to move. She was just hoping he would wake up soon. Slowly, she moved a little just to see if he would wake up from her little movements. He didn't. She was usually a light sleeper, but she also slept like a baby last night. She was emotionally and physically exhausted the previous night. It would explain her good night sleep.

Her arm was now going numb too. She should be waking him up, but she chose not to once again. All of the sudden, he sat up. He looked at her as she began massaging her shoulder and arm to wake them up. He sighed as he stretched his neck.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked.

"You looked so peaceful sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you."

"This is what I mean by kindness can harm you." He said. "How's your arm?"

"It will be fine in a bit." She replied. "It's sunny out now, you should probably get back to your ship. Your uncle might be worried about you."

"He knows I can take care of myself. He wouldn't be worried. I bet you that he is still sleeping now, snoring loudly."

Suyin smiled at that comment. It was the first time Zuko acted his age. Neither of them were very old, but they spoke like adults, had problems like adults. The fact that he complained about his uncle's sleeping habits made him seem younger. He noticed her smile. It was the first time he saw her smile. Just like her soul, it was warm and filled with kindness. She also seemed more like her age with that simple change in expression. Her face brightened up instantly. She noticed his stare and looked away immediately. She quickly grabbed her sword and walked out the cave. The sun blinded her as she got used to the darkness of the cave. She didn't realize how bright it was. She had to cover them for a bit until they got used the sunlight. He did the same as he stepped out.

"Where are you headed to now?" He asked her.

"I don't know. Wherever my feet take me to, I guess." She replied. "You?"

"I'll continue my hunt for the Avatar." He replied casually.

"Do you really think he exists?" She then asked him.

She lost faith in the existence of the Avatar. It had been a century since anyone had seen the Avatar. He was nothing more than a legend to her. She couldn't understand why someone that powerful and who had such great responsibilities towards the world would simply vanish. It was because she couldn't trust in anyone having the ability to stop the war that she decided to venture out into the world herself to grant peace to whoever crossed her path. In a way, she wanted to amend for her father's sins towards the world and to ask for blessing for her deceased brother in heaven.

"It's the only way for me to restore my honor." He replied. "Even if it takes me a lifetime to find him, I will. I do believe he is out there somewhere."

Unknowingly, together, they reached the bay where Zuko's ship was docked. They looked at each other before Suyin turned her back to him. She didn't really know what to say. She only knew that they each had to go their own ways. Their paths crossed in a strange manner despite the different goals they had. They shouldn't have met in the first place since one remained faithful to the Fire Nation while the other hated the Fire Nation's convictions.

She started walking away. She could hear his footsteps going the opposite direction. He, either, did not know how to end things between them. Perhaps it was the best way to end things. There wasn't much left to say. Goodbye seemed to intimate, yet appropriate for whatever bond they formed overnight. Neither of them were very good with their words. It was definitely better for each to walk their own path and not to see each other again.

* * *

Before she knew it, another two years had passed. Suyin spent those two years constantly traveling and doubling her effort in making the world a better place for the victims of the Fire Nation. She was now known to the world under an alias: the Masked Saint. Known for her kindness and generosity, however still just as mysterious as ever, the people started calling with such terms. It was both a blessing and a curse. People praised her in songs and protected her no matter where she went. However, the Fire Nation doubled their efforts in capturing her as she was deemed a danger to their nation. The last two years allowed Suyin to develop her evasion skills. She constantly was on the run. Although many civilians have offered her shelter, she didn't want to implicate them. She mostly slept in trees or in whatever caves she could find along the way. A poster with her masked face was everywhere the Fire Nation had been to. Nobody knew of her real identity. If she truly wanted to, she could simply walk around with no mask on.

She was now wandering the South Pole. It was her first time in the region. She heard that, years ago, the Fire Nation had attacked the Southern Water Tribes and got rid of all of their water benders. The Southern Water Tribes were left defenseless. However, because they lacked resources, the Fire Nation ignored them for the last few years, allowing them to live peacefully as long as they didn't cause any trouble. The Southern Tribes lived quietly in such a manner, swallowing their pride to allow for their children to live. Recently, some Fire Nation ships were seen in the southern ocean for some reason. Suyin wanted to make sure that this poor and already scarred nation would not have to suffer any more than they already have.

She was walking along the icy shores of the South Pole, jumping from one iceberg to the next. If she was unable to jump the distance, she would use her sword to row to the next. She had yet found a Southern Water Tribe. They were really small and scarcely located. It came to no surprise to Suyin. As she continued venturing in the South Pole that day, she saw a light beam going up towards the sky before suddenly disappearing. The waters became agitated for a few seconds before calming down again. It was strange and never seen before phenomenon. Suyin had no choice but to head in the direction to understand what had just happened.

She got closer to where the light source was, but there was nothing to be seen there other than a broken wooden boat, crashed against an iceberg. There was also some white hair floating on the water creating a trail that Suyin could follow and, so, she did. It lead her to this small villager where a shabby fort war built around it with a collapsing watchtower. Nonetheless, it was the first life signs she had seen in days. She decided to keep her distance as they would probably fear her presence since they had been isolated for long from the world. They probably never heard of her existence unlike the rest of the Earth Kingdom whose communication system was better connected between villages. She knew she couldn't leave them however. Something told her that if she was able to find this place, Fire Nation would be able to locate them to. She also wanted to find out about that light phenomenon she had just seen.

She settled on a nearby iceberg that had a peak high enough so that she could watch over the village. She couldn't really tell what was going on in the village, but she could tell they were still safe and sound. It allowed her to rest from her journey for a bit as well. Day one went by without a hitch. The second day, the morning was still just as quiet. However, just as she began to think that maybe she was overly cautious, a Fire Nation emergency signal was seen in the sky. It wasn't too far away from where the village was. Suyin quickly grabbed her things and headed towards the village, fighting against the unsettling waters. The reason the waters were so agitated was the presence of a large ship going through the ice and crashing into the village. As it docked into the village, Suyin made it just outside the crumbling fort and watched the situation before intervening.

There was one person standing in the village with a weapon. The remaining people in the village were kids. The warrior seemed like he was just around her age as well, maybe a year or two older at most. From his stance, Suyin could tell that he wasn't much of a fighter. At least, he had courage to stand up to the enemy in order to protect his village. He was quickly flicked aside by the Fire Nation as a group of men descended from the ship. From afar, to her disgust, she recognized the man who was leading them. It was Prince Zuko. She never expected their paths to cross once again. Without further hesitation, she rushed into the village and stood between the Fire Nation and the villagers. The Water Tribe warrior stood up from his fall and joined her side despite having some doubts written all over his face.

"Prince Zuko," one of the man said. "That is the famous Masked Saint."

They all pointed their spears towards her, showing clearly to everyone that she was an enemy of the Fire Nation. She pulled out her sword and pointed it back at them. Zuko's eyes squinted as he seemed to recognize that sword. Her sword was indeed unique. It was given to her by her master Piandao. When he was training her older brother, he took notice in her interest and taught her as well. Although he left before she could complete her training, he gifted her one of his finest sword, knowing that she would put it into good use. Zuko was once trained by the same master. He also saw wield that sword previously. He recognized the handle and its trademark design.

"Masked Saint, eh? You made a name for yourself despite your lack of care for honor and pride." He told her. "I should have known it was you. Who else would want to meddle in everybody's business in that way?"

"What are you doing here?" She then asked him, no longer having to conceal her voice or identity.

"You know my sole purpose for traveling all over the world." He said as he went ahead and attacked her.

As they went head to head against each other, both of them how much they had improved over the years. Zuko had better control over his fire bending while Suyin's swordsmanship was now almost impeccable. As they got close to each other, he whispered into her ears:

"Why are you not using your fire bending?"

"You very well know why." She murmured back as she pushed him away.

Noticing that she was not an easy enemy to defeat, the rest of the soldiers began attacking her as well to lend support to their leader. As they occupied her, Zuko made his way into the crowd of villagers and pulled out an elderly woman. Suyin quickly headed over and tried to stop him, but she had more than she could handle with all the men attacking her simultaneously.

"Suyin, if you don't stop, I might have to harm these people. You know I only want to find the Avatar."

"You are despicable." She said as she dropped her sword to the ground and some of his men tied her hands to her back, forcing her to kneel down as well.

She knew she could escape from them as soon as she ensured that the rest of the villagers would be safe and sound. The fight could be down elsewhere. If they were on the boat, she could also use fire bending without holding back. Escaping wasn't going to be an issue.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone as long as you hand over the Avatar." He then announced as he turned towards the villagers. "He should be around this age, master of all four elements?"

"Looking for me?" A little voice came from behind them.

He was just a little boy, definitely looked younger than Suyin. He was dressed in the traditional monk garments. She recognized it from her trip at the Eastern Air Temple where the paintings depicted his people. It made no sense that the Avatar was that young. However, the simple fact that the Avatar existed made no sense to her.

"You are the Avatar?" Zuko asked, shocked to see such a young person as well.

"If I come with you, will you promise me to leave these people alone?" He asked Zuko firmly.

"Promise." Zuko said as he released the elderly woman and his men tied the Avatar up similarly to how they tied Suyin.

"What about her?" He then asked Zuko, pointing towards Suyin with his feet as he could no longer move his hands.

"She's an enemy of the Fire Nation. She's coming with us."

They made the two of them march in front of them as they boarded the ship. Below, the villagers looked at them with guilt in their eyes, feeling helpless in the current situation. They felt as if they lost the only two people on this planet who actually cared about the well-being of the world. They kept pushing them forward as to make them walk faster. Neither of them showed any resistance as they knew they had to leave the area before they could think of doing anything. The villagers' lives were still at stake.

"Hi, I'm Aang!" He said cheerfully to her as the ship prepared to leave the iceberg.

She smiled behind her mask. He could tell she was smiling as he looked into her eyes. One of the men then came to take off her mask. Zuko stopped him, grabbing his wrist and bringing it down.

"Let's keep it a surprise for the Fire Nation. Time to go home, everyone."

* * *

 **End of Chapter 4**

* * *

Thank you for reading this chapter!

Hope you are enjoying it so far!

xox

Krystal


	6. Chapter 5: Under Suspicion

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Under Suspicion**

* * *

As they arrived on the deck of the ship, Zuko ordered the men to take Aang down and to lock him up in one of the lower rooms. Suyin tried to follow, but he held her back, stating that he wished to speak to her. She couldn't read his intentions at all. On one hand, he captured her and was planning on bringing her back to the Fire Nation to seek punishment. On the other hand, he stopped his crew from unmasking her and revealing her identity as if he was protecting her. As they were the only two remaining on the deck, he took the mask off her face.

"Long time no see." He then said.

She didn't answer. She simply looked away. She could have escaped at that very moment, but she knew she had to remain on the boat with Aang. Although she still had doubts about him being the Avatar, she knew that he wasn't an enemy and that he was someone deserving of her help.

He was bothered by her indifference towards him. He quickly walked over to be in her field of vision. He was frowning like he always used to do. He was glaring into her eyes that showed no emotion whatsoever. She wasn't angry nor was she sad or upset. They were empty. It frustrated him. He threw her mask to the ground, cracking it through the middle slightly. She showed no reaction to it either.

"Are you that unwilling to speak to me?" He asked, anger filled in his voice.

"What are you hoping for? A plead for release?" She then finally said.

"A simple _how have you been_ would suffice."

"I think you are forgetting where we stand now towards each other. I'm a wanted criminal of the Fire Nation and you are the prince of the Fire Nation. Even my own parents don't want to be associated with me…"

He didn't reply to that. He knew that she wasn't wrong. The simple fact that he used that to capture her onto his ship was enough to prove the difference in where they stood when it came to the war. By no means was he trying to promote it like his father did, but he wasn't trying to stop it either. She, in contrast, did everything to go against the Fire Nation. They couldn't greet each other like friends. They never were in the first place and, with time, they grew further and further apart in terms of their goals and desires.

They stood there in silence, looking into each other's eyes. Suyin, then, looked away. She felt as though he was looking deep into her soul. She didn't want to grant anyone the access to her innermost thoughts. They were complicated and her own. She couldn't allow someone, especially him, to gain knowledge of them. The silence was heavy until someone called out for help from below. Seemingly, Aang had escaped from the hands of the guards Zuko had ordered to escort him. Frustrated at the incompetence of his crew members, he quickly rushed downstairs to stop the Avatar from escaping the ship, leaving Suyin standing on the deck, unguarded. She used her fire bending to burn the ropes attaching her hands together and was now freely moving. From far away, she noticed a flying creature heading towards the ship. She squinted and could tell that there were two people on top of that creature. One of them, she recognized as the warrior from that Water Tribe.

She quickly picked up her mask from the floor as Aang sprinted out from the entrance leading to the lower deck. He had grabbed his flying stick and offered her his hand to take her away from the ship with him. She gladly accepted his hand and they both were now floating above the ship. The flying creature quickly headed over, allowing them to climb onto his back and making a quick escape from Zuko's ship.

He was, however, quite persistent as he sent a large fireball alongside with his uncle towards them. Reluctantly, Suyin used her fire bending to disperse the flames preventing anyone by her side to be injured. As she did, the dispersed fire knocked down the ice surrounding them and it blocked Zuko's ship from following them any further. She heard a scream from down below that she recognized as Zuko's. She closed her eyes as she bid him farewell silently, hoping to never see him again. As she turned around, she saw the warrior's eyes staring at her in disbelief. His body language showed that he was protecting the girl sitting behind him from Suyin.

"You… You… You are… You are from the Fire Nation!" He stuttered from shock.

This was what she feared all along. This was the reason why she stopped fire bending as she embarked on this trip. Her identity as a person from the Fire Nation lead to distrust from the rest of the world. It didn't matter if she helped them or if she stood up for them. She was still the enemy. It was in her blood. It was in her flesh. What her brain and heart believed in didn't matter.

"I won't harm you." Suyin quickly said. "As soon as I can get off, I will."

There was no land to be seen around them. They were just flying over water. Suyin wanted to leave them as she believed that's what they would have preferred as well, but she simply couldn't. She wasn't a bad swimmer, but she had no idea how long she would have to swim before reaching land.

"You don't have to." The girl then told her. "My brother is just being an idiot. You clearly wanted to help us. We should be thanking you instead."

"She's from the FIRE NATION!" Her brother said loudly, no longer stuttering. "Who knows what evil she had done previously?"

"I heard, on the ship, that they called you the Masked Saint." Aang then said. "They said that you were this goddess-like person who has been helping the less fortunate. Sounds like a good person to me!"

"That's what they want us to think. She's actually a spy from the FIRE NATION!"

"Sokka, you are being ridiculous!" The girl said as she turned towards Suyin. "I'm Katara, by the way. Nice to meet you. And this is my stupid brother Sokka."

She pointed towards that young warrior who turned his back to them and pouted, mumbling something about befriending the enemy. He sat with his arms and legs crossed and a frown on his face.

"I'm Suyin."

They didn't say any more as they were all tired from the events that happened during that day. Even Sokka let his guard down as he fell asleep on top of the flying creature. He was a sky bison named Appa. Suyin didn't believe that they existed until that day. She thought they were simply some mystical creatures described to entertain the children. It was a pleasant surprise to her. Aang was also a pleasant surprise. Although she didn't believe in the whole Avatar story, she now did. She couldn't possibly deny his existence now, he was right there in front of her flying the sky bison.

* * *

The sky finally got brighter as the sun rose upon them. Suyin hadn't slept all night. She was just sitting at the back looking down into the water where the moon was reflecting itself brightly. Sokka woke up in a loud yawn. When he finally managed to open his eyes, he glared at Suyin. Katara also woke up at that moment and greeted everyone in a friendly manner. She noticed Sokka's animosity towards Suyin immediately. She flicked her brother's forehead and scolded him for behaving in such manners. He fought back:

"Katara! She's FIRE nation. I don't care if she tried to help us previously or not. We cannot trust her."

"She hasn't done anything wrong, though." Aang intervened. "I mean, she tried to save us, if anything. Had she not tried to save us, we would have never known she was from the Fire Nation."

"I don't care." Sokka replied, pouting.

At those words, they were now flying over land. It was deserted land. Suyin grabbed her sword and mask before jumping off Appa. She heard Katara and Aang calling out her name, telling her to stay. She landed on the top of a very tall pine tree and simply waved a silent goodbye to them. She truly never planned on staying with them. She felt uncomfortable traveling in a group and she was aware that one of them felt uneasy with her around. It was better for everyone that she traveled solo. She quickly climbed down the tree and disappeared from Aang and his friends' view. She put her mask back on before wandering the unknown land like she always did.

For a while, she saw no sign of life. She then stumbled upon a small village hidden behind the pine tree forest. They seemed unaffected by the ongoing war. As she passed the gates of the village, she noticed that all the eyes were on her. The children were told to hide while the adults kept glaring at her. She headed immediately towards the port without further delay, knowing that strangers were not welcomed in that place. A man recognized her as the Masked Saint. He offered to take her with him on his boat to a nearby island. She accepted gratefully.

On their way, he told her that he was going to Kyoshi Island. Suyin had heard about that place. It was known to be the home of a former Avatar. It was also known for being able to remain neutral throughout the war, not getting involved with any of the political matter. The man who was taking her there explained that she should be careful once on the island since they were hostile towards strangers, believing that they could very well be spies from the Fire Nation. However, he reassured her that he was an old friend of the village leader and that he would vouch for her once they arrived so that she could freely walk around the island. She thanked him upon those words.

Before she knew it, they arrived. He docked his boat on the shores of Kyoshi Island. At first sight, it wasn't different from any other island Suyin had visited before. The only difference was that there was no sign of the Fire Nation having set foot on the island before. She could hear the children's laughter as she stepped down onto the sand. The market seemed lively from afar. There was no fear in people's eyes. She thought the previous village was unaffected by the war. Kyoshi Island was the perfect representation of not being implicated in the hundred year long war.

As promised, the man introduced her to the village's chief who was accompanied by a group of female warriors. Although they seemed to have doubts about Suyin, they welcomed her after the kind words of the man who brought her to the island. He then went on and grabbed dinner with the chief while Suyin decided to take a walk around the village. She took a tour of the market, purchasing a few things she knew she would need for her long trip. As she was shopping, she sensed that she was being spied on. To test out that theory, she quickly finished her purchase and rushed into a secluded area. As her pace quickened, she was now certain that there were people following her. She stopped abruptly in the middle of the forest clearing and noticed that all movements have stopped as well.

"I think you have played hide and seek long enough." She then said.

The female warriors she saw previously slowly stepped out from behind trees with their fans in hand. The one who seemed like their leader walked over to Suyin without her weapon drawn out. She looked at into her eyes without a smile before stating the truth:

"We cannot be certain that you aren't a threat to the village. You probably know that we have stayed out of the war for the last hundred years now. We intend to keep it that way."

"I don't blame you." Suyin replied calmly.

"It's good that you understand. If you don't mind, then, walking around with a mask isn't the best way to gain one's trust." The warrior pursued.

Suyin took off her mask without having to be asked. If her mask did not inspire trust, it was no better than the most Fire Nation trait that she possessed and tried so desperately to hide throughout the years: golden eyes. She slowly brought her mask down and opened her eyes to look straight into the warrior's eyes. She noticed the glare and the squinting of the warrior's eyes as the color of her eyes were revealed. The Kyoshi Island warrior was about to raise her arm as an instruction for the rest of them to capture Suyin. Before she could do so, some of the villagers appeared and told them:

"Intruders, on the beach!"

She bit her lip and told the remaining of the girls to quickly head for the beach to stop the intruders. Meanwhile, she stayed back for a little bit, still hesitating about what to do with Suyin. She was clearly from the Fire Nation, yet she had the reputation of helping people of other nations.

"I can't be left alone, can I? I'll come with you to tackle those intruders." Suyin then said, understanding what was going through the warrior's mind.

She had no choice but to agree as the two of them quickly headed to where the intruders were. Suyin was, now, hoping for a chance to prove herself as a friend and not a fiend.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 5**

* * *

Thank you for reading!

Let me know how you are enjoying the story so far!

xox

Krystal


	7. Chapter 6: Something in the Air

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Something in the Air**

* * *

Once they got there, Suyin quickly realized that the intruders were Aang and his friends. Before she could say anything, however, the island's warrior had already captured everyone in the group. They put a bag over their heads before taking them into the village. She was instructed by the leader to follow along as Suyin was not yet cleared of suspicions.

They were all brought to the village's chief who walked over to the new intruders in a threatening manner as he removed the bags over their heads. True to his character, Sokka screamed that he wanted to fight the cowards who took them out sneakily. The leader of the warrior made her way over and stared down at Sokka:

"You are looking at them."

"There's no way a bunch of girls took us out."

She grabbed him by the collar and glared at him, right in his eyes. Katara, always the reasonable one, quickly apologized for her brother, calling him an idiot much to his dislike. However, he did not dare to add anymore as they were in a vulnerable position. Katara then tried to reason with them, explaining that they meant no harm whatsoever. It was useless. The village was always on high alert for enemies. Words meant nothing to them.

"Aang, just show them you air bending." Suyin then said.

"You know them?" The village's chief asked.

"He's the Avatar." She simply replied as Aang did as he was told.

Everyone's eyes widened in amazement as they couldn't believe they were in the presence of the long lost Avatar. Without further delay, they untied the ropes binding them and welcomed them warmly, including Suyin as she was a friend of the Avatar. The leader apologized for her rude behavior before introducing herself as Suki.

The next few days, all of them remained on the island and befriended the villages. Suki and Suyin quickly became good friends as they found themselves having a lot in common. Both were strong females who fought for peace. They were also very independent, believing only in their abilities in order to survive rather than having to rely on someone. They both hated being seen as the inferior sex. They knew they were stronger than most men and fought hard to prove it. The only thing that differed between the two of them was the fact that Suyin felt uncomfortable when surrounded by many while Suki thrived with the company of her teammates.

Sokka and Suki also developed a relationship that was more than a simple friendship. Suyin was present to witness the blossoming of their love. Although it was hard to say whether they would be able to maintain that bond of love, they surely made a good pair. Sokka was still, however, showing signs of animosity towards Suyin. He didn't reveal to the villagers that she was Fire Nation, but his eyes showed the mistrust he still had towards her due to her blood. Suyin didn't mind it too much. She could understand where he was coming from. How could one really forgive the people who took away his mother's life, his childhood, his innocence? She didn't blame him for acting the way he did.

Katara, on the other hand, became another good friend to Suyin. She admired Suyin's courage and Suyin reciprocated it. They were very different, but still found common ground on most topics. They both had to grow up really quickly for example. Katara had to take care of her family from an early age as her mother was no longer around. She was organized, understanding and a hard worker. Suyin also had to mature quickly as she left her home at a tender age. She learned to take care of herself while not being selfish and always giving people a helping hand. The whole world was her family, the family she decided to care for.

Aang, on the other hand, was rarely seen by Suyin. He was too busy being a celebrity around the village to have any interaction with Suyin. He was out there impressing the young girls of the village with his skills. He seemed to enjoy it. Katara reminded him to not let it get to his head. Unfortunately, his innocent mind was corrupted by the desire for attention.

That morning, Suyin ran into Aang who enthusiastically told her that he was heading to the beach to ride the Unagi again. She shook her head and told him to be careful as wild creatures are not ones to be meddled with. He ignored her recommendation and rushed to the beach without any more words exchanged. Suyin sighed before heading into the village. A lot was on her mind. The night before, Suki had proposed her to stay on the island and to become part of the Kyoshi Warriors. However, Suyin declined her offer, knowing that she couldn't stay in one place for too long. Part of her, however, wanted to stay because she felt at home on the island. She formed bonds like she never did before. The other part of her knew full well that she shouldn't stay for two reasons: it was risky for her to stay in one place and this, really, wasn't her home. As she pondered about it, she bumped into Katara in the market. She was purchasing what looked like supplies for their trip to the North Pole.

"You are coming with us this time, right?" Katara asked her as they began strolling through the market, gathering more groceries.

"I don't know… I don't think Sokka would be too happy about the idea."

"Just ignore him. Both Aang and I discussed this. We think you should. It's better to travel in group than by oneself."

"I'm used to it though."

"Well give it some more thoughts. We should leave soon."

Suyin nodded. She wasn't wrong. They had stayed on the island for long enough now that if the Fire Nation had caught wind of their location they could head over and capture Aang in a surprise attack. As she thought about Aang, she looked at Katara and said:

"Aang is trying to ride the Unagi again, by the way."

"HE WHAT?!" Katara said loudly. "I told him not to do it!"

She shoved the groceries into Suyin's arm before heading to the beach angrily. Suyin looked at her walk away. Katara truly acted like a mother to them. Sokka often kid about it, but Suyin finally got to witness it. She couldn't help but smile as she headed back to the inn where they were staying to drop off the groceries. On her way, she thought about Katara's motherly behavior. It was something Suyin was unfamiliar with. Her mother never showed concern towards them. She was cold and stoic, just like her father, caring about reputation more so than the well-being of her own children. Some might say that parents all love their kids unconditionally. Suyin didn't believe in that. If her mom truly loved her, she wouldn't be socializing at that moment with other women from the Fire Nation's nobility while victimizing herself as a mother of dead children. Suyin was very well alive, yet she is identified as dead as she was a dishonor and a traitor to her family.

Before she knew it, she was back to the inn. She dropped off the things by Katara's room's door and headed back to her own. She walked over to the window that gave her great views over the village. She wanted the sight to sink into her brain as she felt the day she had to leave the village came closer and closer. As she opened the window to take in the fresh air of the village, her nose picked up the scent of burnt wood. Her ears also picked up the sound of crackling fires. She opened her eyes that were closed just a second ago. There was smoke by the beach all the way into the village. She quickly picked up her things and put on her mask. There was no doubt about it. It was an attack from the Fire Nation.

She got closer and closer to where the epicenter of the fight was. She could hear as she was approaching a too familiar voice: Zuko. He was screaming like a mad man, requesting for the villagers to hand him the Avatar. Failure to do so resulted in the wild spread fire. Everyone stood their ground, refusing to hand over the Avatar. They pretended that they didn't know what he was talking about.

"LIARS!" He bellowed as he sent a large fireball towards the poor villagers.

Suyin jumped and deflected the fire by spinning her sword like a ventilation fan. She didn't want to scare the villagers by showing that she was also from the Fire Nation. As the fireball dissipated, Suyin and Zuko were standing face to face again. He frowned as he saw her. His lips trembled as if they were about to say something. Behind her mask, Suyin was also frowning. She had nothing to say him however. She drew out her sword and pointed it at him as the villagers all ran away.

"Why are you here again?" He asked her as he looked away. "You are making it too easy to capture you."

"Say that after you've captured me." Suyin said as she ran towards him, having made up her mind about taking him down.

He had caused enough harm, especially to this place she now cherished dearly. He countered her attack skillfully. He knew then that she wasn't going to be using her fire bending. The chances of victory was on his side. However, he didn't know that the Kyoshi Warriors were going to join the fight as well. His men also started fighting back. They outnumbered the warriors and Suyin. Furthermore, Suyin and Suki were fighting while being mindful of the villagers' houses while the Fire Nation soldiers and Zuko couldn't care less about their destruction.

"I told them to leave. You should go with them." Suki told Suyin as they were back to back now, fighting off several fire benders each.

"I need to stay and help." Suyin replied. "As long as Aang leaves safely, it will be alright. However, you will need people to rebuild the houses. I'll stay."

As she said those words, she looked up to the sky and Appa was flying towards her. She shook her head strongly to show them that she wasn't going to go with them. However, they did not listen to her physical cue and kept coming closer. As they got close enough, Aang grabbed onto her arm and she lifted up the ground, flying away from the scene. They thought they would be able to get away, however, Zuko jumped up and was holding onto Suyin's leg. He was now flying across the village with them. Suyin tried to shake him off, but his grip was too tight. She looked up at Aang and mouthed: "Let go." He shook his head. She brought her other hand up and undid the fingers that were wrapped around her wrist.

"No!" Aang yelled out as Zuko and Suyin were now falling from the sky.

At the height they were at and the speed at which they were falling, the impact on the ground would be lethal. The wind blew the mask off her face. She did not make a sound as they were falling to their death. The fall, which lasted for only a few seconds, felt like forever. They finally hit a roof and went right through it. Perhaps they were lucky because the roof was made of hay which softened the landing. She had closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact. However, to her surprise, she did not feel it all that much. She felt an embrace of some sort around her. When the sensation of falling stopped, she felt like there was a protective shield around her. She heard Zuko's grunting of pain. She opened her eyes only to find out that he was the one holding onto her and had shielded her from hitting anything. During that short instance, he managed to pull her into his embrace and to protect her from harm.

They were both covered in dust. She had a few minor cuts on her exposed skin. He, however, was covered in wounds. She quickly got out of his embrace and kneeled next to his body. He was still conscious, but barely. He was in so much pain. She could tell from the sound he was emitting and the frown deeper than ever on his face. She bit her lower lip as she mumbled:

"Why…"

She could tell he wanted to reply, but he didn't have the strength to do so. She had to take him out of there somehow. She knew the villagers would not leave him unscathed if they found him. He would probably be locked up and unattended health wise, left to die. He did, after all, burn down their village without batting an eye. Despite coming out of the fall fairly unharmed, her body was still sore. She struggled to move him. She also worried that moving him would cause more harm to his body than it already did. Every tiny movement caused him to grunt out of pain. As she half carried him, half dragged him to the doorway, the door swung open and a familiar face appeared. She felt relieved at the sight of the old man who was standing in front of her. It was General Iroh, Zuko's uncle. He quickly came into the torn down house and aided Suyin to carry Zuko back to their ship. There, he was quickly transported to his room by his men.

"Come with us. You need to be treated too." Iroh told her, rushing her to get onto the boat so that they could leave the island before the villagers came after them.

"I'll be fine here too." Suyin said.

"Yet, you are standing here in front of this ship, wondering whether you should hop onboard or remain. You want to leave, don't you?" He asked her.

He knew how to read people very well. She could have stayed on the island until another boat came to the island to take her to the mainland. However, there was a part of her that felt like she should be leaving with them. There were multiple reasons as to why she felt like she join them. The main one was Zuko. He did, after all, save her, potentially, from death. Sure, she didn't ask him to save her. Sure, he was the cause for the fall to happen in the first place. However, he did make up for it in an extreme manner.

"You are going to have to make up your mind soon. I can hear the footsteps coming towards us." Iroh said as he turned his back to her.

She looked back behind her and took a deep breath before boarding the ship. It was the only way to avoid the questioning from the villagers as they would certainly ask too many questions and it was the only way for her to ensure that Zuko would be fine. The anchor was lifted and the ship started moving. There was no going back now.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 6**

* * *

Thank you for the follows & favorites and for reading yet another chapter!

Always appreciating feedback!

xox

Krystal


	8. Chapter 7: Close to Home

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Close to Home**

* * *

She stayed by his side for the duration of their trip to a nearby Fire Nation colony situated in the Earth Kingdom. She would tend to his need without many words. He didn't speak much either. Most of the time, he was just sleeping. She preferred it that way as she truly did not know what to say to him. At night, she would remain in his room as well. She would sleep in a sitting position. Her sleep was always light. Every sound that was made within that room would wake her up. Iroh kept telling her she didn't have to do everything for him. He told her that she needed to rest too. He cared for her as though she was his family. However, he knew that she wanted to keep her distances from them. He knew that once Zuko would be back on his feet, she would leave once again. She didn't want to become attached to them. He respected that space she had established between them, but, sometimes, he simply could help but overstep the boundaries.

They finally reached one of the colonies. The colonized were hostile towards the colonizers. There was a lot of tension within the area. The men on the ship managed to find a physician who pledged no alliance to any of the nation. He only cared about human life. As he came into Prince Zuko's room, he examined the injured body and prescribed some ointment that would help the healing process of the wounds. He also gave Suyin instruction on the administration of painkillers and anti-inflammatories. General Iroh thanked him for his services before paying him a hefty amount of money for both the visit and the medication.

"At least we know his life isn't in danger." Iroh said after the physician left. "As for the medication, I could have picked those out myself."

"General Iroh, you are well-versed in the medicine as well?" Suyin asked as she prepared the medication for Zuko.

"No, but I had to treat my wounds multiple times by myself when I used to fight in the army." He explained, taking a seat on a chair. "And don't be so formal. Just call me Uncle Iroh. I no longer am part of the army hierarchy."

He was always so laid-back. It was one of the things Suyin admired about him. The sky could be falling and he would just be sitting around, calmly, waiting for death to fall upon him. Perhaps it was because he believed in destiny and that all things happened for a reason. Therefore, there was no point in fighting against life and death. On one hand, Suyin believed in destiny the same way he did. On the other hand, she hated the static aspect of life. She believed that if things could be done to prevent harm, they should be attended to. She refused to sit around and wait for the things to simply happen. Perhaps age played a great role in the way they perceived things.

"So, what is it that you like about my nephew?" He suddenly asked her, causing her to drop the spoon she used to stir the medication.

"I don't like him." She replied, picking up what she had dropped.

"You don't mean that."

"Since I've met him, unless we had no choice, we were fighting each other." She told him.

"Why would you do all of this for him then?"

"I just felt like I owed him this much for saving my life. I'm not doing a lot though."

"Ah, yes. It's not like you are constantly watching over him, taking care of all his needs, having sleepless nights because of it, not caring about your own health and well-being for his sake… Not to mention that you are vulnerable to being brought back to the Fire Nation for a bounty." Iroh said in a sarcastic tone.

She didn't reply to that. There was nothing that she could really say in return. Everything he said was too true. She did do a lot for him, but she believed she did everything because she felt like she owed him all of it. She wasn't doing it out of the kindness of her heart. It was to pay him back. She didn't want to be indebted to him.

"I'll leave as soon as he is able to walk around again." She said, walking over to Zuko's bed to feed him the medication.

"It would be much easier to leave now than when he awakens. You would have to fight one more person to be able to get off the boat."

"Would you try to stop me if I tried to leave?" Suyin asked him.

"Are you asking me or Prince Zuko?" Uncle Iroh teased her again as she was looking at Zuko when she said those words. "You know how I am. I don't take action until my life or Zuko's life is at risk. As for my nephew, you know he would stop you regardless of his reasoning."

Iroh then yawned and headed for the door, stating that he was feeling sleepy now and that he would be heading to bed. He also instructed her not to stay up to late and to take some rest, especially if she was planning on leaving soon. She nodded silently although she was most likely not going to follow those instructions.

She was now, once again, by herself with Zuko. She looked at his now peaceful face. It seemed like the medication was working. She couldn't help but be thankful for his protection whenever she looked at him now. However, she still longed for the day she would be able to step off this ship with her mind at ease. She fell asleep unknowingly while watching him. She was tired too. She lied about not feeling the exhaustion, but it finally got to her.

* * *

She woke up abruptly in sweats. She sat up and brought her hand to her head that was pounding. She blinked a few times before she could actually open her eyes fully. There was a blanket on her that had just slid down the side of the bed she was lying on. A little further away, by the fireplace, he was sitting there, seemingly meditating. She got off the bed and slipped her shoes on before making her way over to him. His eyes were closed, but he could sense her presence.

"Finally, awake?" He asked in an unchanging tone.

"How are you feeling?" She asked instead of responding.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. He could see the worry in eyes. He had forgotten what it looked like to have someone worry for your well-being. It was bizarre that it was a stranger that showed him such great concern. He stood up and Suyin took a few steps back.

"Are you planning on leaving?" He then asked her.

She turned her back to him and headed for the door. He stopped her. Once again, they were fighting. Without restraint this time, Suyin overpowered him easily. He had forgotten how proficient she was in fire bending. She simply didn't use it most of the time. As she grabbed onto the door handle once again, he stopped her by throwing a fireball in her direction despite lying on the floor at that point.

"You should have left when you had the chance to." He told her as she was now further away from the door.

"Why are you wasting your time holding me captive? It's the Avatar that you need to be able to return to the Fire Nation… not me." Suyin said.

"Just imagine how proud my father would be of me if I brought the biggest traitor of the Fire Nation to him alongside the Avatar. Wouldn't all his trouble be solved then?"

"You could just kill me instead of going through all this trouble." Suyin said coldly.

She wasn't wrong. Zuko knew that very well. However, he couldn't bring himself to kill her. In a sense, he knew she had done nothing wrong. He actually agreed with her at times. He believed no harmless citizen should have to suffer because of the power struggle between the nations. He also couldn't wait for the war to end. He simply couldn't humble himself to say that she was right.

"You also could have killed me these last few days if you wanted to avoid trouble." He told her.

He wasn't wrong. However, she felt like she owed him her life. It was funny how their lives were intertwined. They fought every time they met, but also protected each other unconsciously. They felt like they made each other's life complicated. They could have simplified it by simply ending one's life, but they refused to do so.

They were still standing face to face, ready to attack each other at any time now. All of the sudden, the door opened and Iroh was standing there with a smile on his face:

"Dinner is ready. Come join us on the deck."

Suyin quickly left the room as the door opened. Zuko rushed after her while Iroh remained inactive. She made it to the upper deck as Zuko's soldiers simply stood there and stared. They weren't too sure of what to do. They became used to Suyin's presence and no longer felt like she was a runaway. She almost felt like part of the team. Meanwhile, Zuko was chasing her furiously. It was a natural behavior of his in their eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" He yelled at them. "Capture her. She's trying to escape."

They were a step too late. She had already gotten off the boat and disappeared among the crowd of people in the market. Amidst the people, Suyin could hear Zuko's cry of anger. She didn't look back, fearing that he would find her in the crowd.

* * *

She quickly left the village she was in. It was governed by the Fire Nation. She would have been caught sooner or later. She ventured deeper into the Earth Kingdom before arriving to what seem to be a deserted village. It was in ruins. It wasn't burnt however. It wasn't the work of the Fire Nation. In a way, Suyin felt relieved. She was sick of seeing things burnt to the ground by her own people. She took a seat on one of the larger rocks on the ground. She needed a break. It seemed like a safe place to rest, despite the scenery. She took a sip of water as she felt the dryness of the climate in her throat. Before she could finish, she choked on the water as she heard her name being called out:

"Suyin!"

She recognized that voice. She turned around and saw that it was Aang. He seemed to be ready to jump on-board Appa again for a long journey. She stood up and walked towards him.

"I'm so happy to see that you are okay! We thought you…"

"I was lucky. I only had minor injuries from that fall." Suyin quickly said before those words slipped out of his mouth. "Where are you headed so early in the morning?"

"Yeah, where are you headed, Aang!?" They heard an angry voice from behind them as footsteps approached as well.

It was none other than Sokka, followed by his sister who smiled brightly as she noticed Suyin's presence. She quickly hugged her friend as she couldn't believe that she was safe and sound. Sokka gave Suyin a nod of acknowledgement. It was the friendliest reaction he had given her since their first encounter.

"I didn't want you guys to follow me because this could potentially be a suicidal mission." Aang explained.

Suyin raised an eyebrow as she expected them to tell her what this was all about. They continued to argue without giving her more information. From what she gathered, they seemed to be heading into the Fire Nation territory. The reason remained unknown to her.

"Aang, you do know that your face is plastered on every wall in the Fire Nation, right?"

"I know that! I just have to go the Fire Temple! I need to speak to Avatar Roku or he needs to speak to me about something!"

"If you are heading into the Fire Nation, I'm coming along too. We can't afford to lose you." Suyin said as she got all her things together and mounted Appa.

Aang frowned, but he couldn't deny that Suyin's help would be much appreciated. Sokka and Katara also climbed onto Appa without uttering another word, knowing that Aang no longer could stop them from joining him on his dangerous journey. They were family now. Suyin wasn't part of it just yet, but the three of them, plus Momo and Appa, could no longer be separated. Suyin took a deep breath as they flew up to the sky. It was going to be her first time home since she had left.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 7**

* * *

Thank you for reading!

Don't forget to leave me some feedback!

xox

Krystal


	9. Chapter 8: Revealed Identity

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Revealed Identity**

* * *

They were flying as fast as they could. The solstice was just about to happen. They couldn't afford to slow down. As they flew above the waters that served as the borders between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, Katara pulled on Suyin's sleeve pointing in direction of a ship that was following them and that looked too familiar to the two girls.

"Aang, Zuko is trailing behind us." Katara told him.

"Appa can't fly any faster." Aang told them. "He's already doing his best. He can't reach us from here anyway."

Katara nodded in agreement despite not moving her eyes away from the banished prince's ship. Suyin was looking ahead instead. She smelled smoke in the air and knew that something was up ahead.

"Incoming!" Katara yelled.

A large projectile flew right past them as Aang managed to stir Appa away from it. Katara squinted and noticed that Zuko was using catapults to get to them. She gave them sign as she could see they were readying themselves for a second launch. However, it never came. Zuko had raised his arm up as to halt his men.

"Why isn't he shooting?" Sokka asked, clinging onto the saddle they sat in.

"There's a Fire Nation barricade just in front of us." Suyin said.

Rows of boats blocked their way into the Fire Nation. Although they were flying, they could see that all the ships had catapults ready to be used against them. Suyin could hear Aang gulp down his saliva anxiously. As they approached the barricade, a rain of fire fell upon them. Aang tried his best to guide Appa through the projectiles while Suyin extinguished the fires that came too close to them by diverting them elsewhere.

"I've never been happier to be with a fire bender." Sokka said as they safely made it through.

Suyin smiled at the comment as she sat back down wiping the sweat off her forehead. They all sat down and relaxed as they seemed to have made it through the worst already. Everybody let out a sigh of relief. Appa kept going towards the Fire Temple at full speed, understanding that his job wasn't done yet.

Suyin, then, looked around. She was now home for the first time in a very long time. The place seemed so unfamiliar, yet it was still the blue waters she had seen so many times during her travels. She leaned onto the edge of the saddle as she looked into the distance. It felt bizarre for her to be home, because it really wasn't. She didn't have anybody in the Fire Nation who awaited her return. If any, they simply wanted to brand her as a criminal and throw her in jail. Before she could even notice it, it was already dusk. They had slowly lowered their altitude as they were ready to land on the crescent island where the Fire Temple was located.

They dismounted Appa quietly and instructed him to hide himself elsewhere. They said they would call for him when needed. Appa gave them a nod before finding a hiding spot for himself. They sneaked into the Fire Temple, hoping no one would find them. However, they were quickly greeted by five men who did not seem please at their arrival in the temple. Suyin recognized their clothing as being the ones of the Fire Sages. She had heard about them. Before she could say anything, Aang introduced himself as the Avatar, believing that they served the Avatar. He couldn't be further from the truth. They no longer served the Avatar. They served the Fire Lord. The Avatar was now their enemy. They only guarded the temple to prevent any Avatar from communicating with his or her past life.

The self-identification caused the Sages to attack them. Suyin saw it coming and rushed in front of the three others to deflect the fire as she told them to run. The Sages quickly chased after them. The Fire Temple was a true labyrinth. All the hallways looked the same. They kept on going without leading them anywhere.

"Aang! You said you came here before." Sokka said as he urged him to find the way.

"I did, but we just went through walls. I don't know the actual way to Roku." Aang murmured as they were still watching out for the Sages.

"I can help you." Said an unfamiliar voice from behind them.

It was one of the Sages. They all pointed their weapons at him with the exception of Suyin. She smiled at him instead. He looked surprised at first but then smiled at her:

"You've grown a lot since I last saw you, Lady Suyin."

"It's nice to see you too, Sage Shyu." She said before turning towards the others to tell them that he was a friend, not an enemy.

"Yes, I've continued to serve the Avatar no matter what the other Sages' beliefs were. I knew the Avatar would come back and come here someday. That's why I stayed." He explained as he showed them the way through a secret a passage. "Lady Suyin here didn't believe in the Avatar. I tried so hard to convince her, but she was a stubborn one. I can't believe that she is now travelling with the Avatar himself."

"Lady?" Sokka asked as they kept going up some stairs.

"You never told them?" Shyu asked her.

"It's not something I should be proud of." Suyin simply replied as she followed behind them, glancing back from time to time to ensure that no one was following them.

"Lady Suyin is the daughter of one of the most prominent families in the Fire Nation. They would only be second to the Royal family." Shyu explained.

"Now they are." Suyin said coldly. "They had to sacrifice both their children for it to happen. Listen, my parents are far from being good people. They climbed to the position they are now by hurting others and making themselves seem like the victims. Their son died in the war. They used it as a mean to ask for honor. Their daughter betrayed the nation. They lied and said she died to gain pity from their entourage. Sage Shyu, you can drop the formalities. My name isn't noble in any way."

"I knew something was fishy about you." Sokka said.

"Sokka..." Katara began.

"But I'm glad that you are here with us now." Sokka then said before his sister could say anything else. "If your family doesn't see your worth, then you are obviously too good for them. We will be your new family."

Suyin stopped walking. She couldn't believe what she had just heard, especially because it came from Sokka. Her lips couldn't help but to curve upward into a smile. She never thought she could be part of a family ever again. Her heart felt like it was being filled with warmth again. That feeling had disappeared from her for a long time now. It was nice to have that sensation of warmth back.

"Touched?" Sokka asked teasingly as he walked past her.

"You wished." She replied as she hastened her footsteps to catch up with the rest of them.

* * *

They finally reached the door through which they had to go through to be able to talk to Roku. Shyu explained that only the Avatar or five fire benders could open the door by simultaneously providing fire to the openings. Aang sighed as he was unable to fire bend. They only had two fire benders at their disposition as well. The solstice was about to happen too. Suyin bit her lip trying to think of a way to open the door for Aang. Sokka, then, had a genius idea. They used bombs to pretend that Aang had managed to open the door. Shyu then called upon the rest of the sages to open the door in order to capture the Avatar. Aang, then, only had to enter the room as the door closes behind him.

They put the plan into action. The Sages fell for it. The doors were wide open. However, when Aang was supposed to head inside, he didn't. Suyin looked from where she was hiding that Zuko had captured Aang. He then told the sages to close the doors. They began to do as instructed realizing their mistake only then. Suyin attacked Zuko allowing Aang to be free. Just seconds before the solstice was about to occur, Aang managed to jump into the room as the doors closed behind him and locked themselves as if Roku wanted to speak to Aang and Aang only. Zuko angrily tried to attack Suyin while the sages were preoccupied by Katara, Sokka and Shyu.

"You know how important it is for me to capture him!" He yelled at Suyin as he sent a fireball towards her.

"You know how important he is to the world." She replied as she dodged his attack without fighting back which angered him even more.

As they were engrossed in their own fight, neither of them realized what was going on around them until Suyin barely dodged a fireball coming from behind her. The tips of her hair were reduced into ashes as she managed to save herself. She looked back and saw that Katara, Sokka and Shyu had been subdued by a large number of men. From behind them, a tall figure emerged. She recognized the man as commander Zhao. His men came rushing at Suyin and Zuko at his order. They tried to fend them off but there were just too many. As they were brought to their knees, Zhao slowly walked over.

"Zhao, the Avatar is in there and yet you are wasting your time with this." Zuko told him.

"He'll have to come out here eventually. I'll just wait here while you entertain me, but I think her presence is the most intriguing thing here." Zhao replied as he looked at Suyin.

"I'm flattered to be more worthy of your time than the Fire Nation's prince and the Avatar." She replied although worried about his interest in her.

Many things were going on through her head. Her own safety wasn't that important. However, she feared for her parents if the Fire Lord ever found out that their daughter had been fighting against him this whole entire time. Yes, she despised them, but, in the end, they were her parents. She didn't want them to be the victims of the Fire Lord's wrath. She still cared about them despite how much she disagreed with their ways of living. She also knew Zhao was jealous of her father's success. This was a golden opportunity for him to take her father down from the very high position he was at.

"I knew that a prodigy like you wouldn't die from drowning." Zhao said. "Your mother made up quite a story and your father played along with it fairly well in front of the Fire Lord. Do you know what the punishment is for deceiving our ruler?"

"What makes you think they know I'm still alive? What if I faked my death? What if they actually believe that I'm dead?"

"Even then, they've only escaped from deceiving the Fire Lord. They still raised a traitor like you." Zhao said, seemingly taken aback from her answer.

"They never raised me. I left when I was so young. How could they have possibly taught me anything?" Suyin then said, knowing that she had successfully fooled Zhao.

His face showed that he was burning with anger at how calm she was when answering him. He knew he couldn't use her to bring her father down. She wasn't going to allow it. In his anger, he slapped her to shut her up. Because her feet and hands were tied together, she lost balance and collapsed onto the floor.

"She's still the prime minister's daughter!" Shyu yelled out. "You can't do that to her!"

"She is working with the Avatar!" Zhao yelled back. "She's a traitor. She deserved that treatment. She was also being insolent towards a commander. Her father might be the prime minister, but she has no title. She's merely a citizen who tried to stand up to an official."

Suyin struggled to bring herself back into her kneeling position. She refused to appear beaten up in front of Zhao. As she did, she chuckled at Zhao's childish behavior. He never knew how to control himself, or so she had heard from her father. He was impulsive and resorted to violence more often than words when dealing with problems. He believed strength was all that was needed to rule over people. He believed people to be weak when confronted to such strength. He was wrong in so many different ways.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked her as he grabbed her small face.

She didn't bother replying. She simply looked at the doors that were slowly opening. He didn't even notice it. He was too preoccupied by her mockery of him. He was too proud and it was easy to take advantage of him because of it. Meanwhile, all his men pointed their weapons at the doors, knowing that the Avatar was about to step out from there. However, the figure that emerged wasn't that of Aang, but that of Roku. With a few simple movements, he managed to knock down all of Zhao's soldiers. The commander, only then, realized how he had lost this battle. He still held onto Suyin as she could be the only prisoner he could take, but Zuko, who broke free in the chaos, took her away from his grasp.

"Wait, we need to save Shyu too." Suyin told Zuko as he carried her away from the fight.

"We can't." He told her.

"I'm not going with you."

"You don't have a choice right now." He said as he pointed to her shackles.

He jumped out one of the windows as the temple began to crumble into pieces. They landed on the sandy shores allowing for their landing to not be too painful. He never let go of her. He quickly got them both onto his small boat and left the island that now was being sunk into the ocean. The smoke from the destruction allowed them to get away without Zhao noticing them. Meanwhile, Aang and the rest of them were flying away on Appa. Suyin noticed they were calling out for her name as they circled the island a few more times.

"Just go! We will meet again." She yelled as she didn't want them to stay in the Fire Nation longer than necessary.

They seemed to have heard her as Appa rose higher in the sky and disappeared. Zuko travelled in the same direction. His quest for the Avatar wasn't over. He, however, was baffled by Suyin's decision of not asking them to come and save her.

"Are you going to undo these shackles for me?" She asked him.

"No."

She bit her lip and began heating up the metal on the shackles to melt them. As they touched her skin, she could hear the sizzling sound. She tried to bear the pain. Zuko noticed and threw some water onto her immediately.

"Are you crazy? You are harming yourself for the sake of what?" He scolded her.

He took a small knife out of his belt and played with the lock until it opened. She was finally free. She stretched herself before looking at her wrists. They had burnt marks on them where the metal touched her. She dipped her hands in the cold water of the ocean to relieve the pain.

"It hurts, doesn't it? I would know." Zuko said as he touched the scar on his face. "You don't have to be so extreme next time you want something. You could have just annoyed me enough with constant begging and I would have helped you with the shackles."

"Next time, I'll know to do that."

* * *

 **End of Chapter 8**

* * *

Thank you again for reading!

Always looking forward to reviews!

xox

Krystal


	10. Chapter 9: Thinking Alike

**Is There a Place in Heaven?**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Thinking Alike**

* * *

"Welcome back!" General Iroh said as Suyin boarded their ship.

She politely bowed to the General while Zuko simply walked past the both of them angrily. His uncle followed him with his eyes although guiding Suyin on board with a smile on his face. He sat her down by the fire they were burning to warm the crew up from the cold winds of the sea. She took place next to him and they offered her a warm bowl of soup. She extended her arms out to grab it and Iroh noticed the burnt marks on her wrists.

"How did you hurt yourself?" He asked.

"I was trying to melt the metal of the shackles that were around my wrists." She replied as she drank the broth. "It's nothing though. It really doesn't hurt all that much either."

"It hurts less to ask for help, you know." General Iroh said as he sipped on his jasmine tea.

Suyin looked down at the fire. He chuckled. He didn't mean to make her feel bad about not asking for help. It was simply a friendly reminder that she wasn't alone in this world. She looked at him as she heard the warmth in that chuckle. It wasn't a sound that was mocking her or undermining her. She wasn't used to the tone of that chuckle. He then stood up and left for a moment. He took his place next to her as he returned.

"This ointment works amazingly well on burns. If you are lucky, it won't even leave a scar." He said as he handed a small bottle with a white lotus painted on it.

She applied the ointment on her burns immediately. She had no reason to refuse it. He so kindly gave it to her too. As she finished, she returned the bottle to him. He shook his head and pushed her hands back towards her.

"You hold on to it. You live a risky life and might need it more than anybody else does on this ship."

She smiled as she thanked him for the gift. She put it in her pocket before excusing herself to crew and leaving for her room. She was tired. It had been a long day. Just a while ago, she was deep within the Fire Nation's territory and, now, she was once again far away from home. She yawned as those thoughts came into her mind. Her eyes were half closed, yet she was still able to walk around the dark corridors of the ship. She knew the place inside out as if she lived there.

She had to walk past Zuko's room to get to hers. As she did, she stopped for a short moment and looked at the closed door. She looked away and continued on her path. A voice then called for her. She rolled her eyes behind her closed lids and asked:

"What now?"

The door swung open and he walked out with his hair messy from tossing and turning in his bed. He just glared at her. Finally, he said:

"You are making too much noise. It's disturbing my sleep."

She ignored him and simply continued walking towards her room. She couldn't understand him at times. It was maybe his way of making conversation, but it was such a poor method. He wasn't dumb. He clearly knew that wouldn't work.

Suyin, walking away the way she did, bothered Zuko. She clearly knew he wanted to talk, yet she continuously pushed away the hand he was reaching out to her. There was nothing more that he could say. He slammed his door as he went back into his room. He fell onto his bed and looked at the ceiling. He cursed at himself for not being able to say something else to her. He wanted to go back to about two years ago, when they were stuck in the cave together, waiting for the storm to pass. It was so easy to speak back then. Although very few words were exchanged back then, the conversation still flowed without aggressive undertones. That moment in the cave still lingered in his mind till this day. He wondered if she remembered that night.

* * *

Suyin finally reached her room. She tended to her wound before getting into bed. Once on her back, she stared at the ceiling and sighed. She couldn't believe she was once again aboard the ship. She was so sleepy on the deck, yet now she was fully awake. It was perhaps from being annoyed by Zuko earlier. He was too often the reason for her insomnia lately. Yet, it wasn't all unpleasant having him on her mind. She hated herself for thinking so. He cared so little for another's life. She often saw the better side of him, but it was never to justify his awful behavior all the other times. She sighed and pulled the blanket over her face, hoping the darkness would help her fall asleep.

Before she knew it, it was already morning. She got no sleep at all. She needed to rest in order to be able to leave the ship without being noticed. It seemed like it would be impossible for her to steal one of the small boats and to row back to shore without exhausting herself to death. She got out of bed and stretched her back before stepping out onto the deck.

The captain greeted her with a smile and handed her a warm bowl of porridge. She didn't usually have breakfast. She still took the bowl out of politeness. It was the exact reason why the captain liked her despite the fact that she was technically the enemy.

"We need to stop somewhere!" Someone yelled from below.

It was General Iroh. He seemed seriously distressed. Zuko came from behind him, looking seemingly annoyed. Suyin put down her porridge bowl and walked over to the general and his nephew, wondering what could perturbed Iroh so much.

"I cannot find my lotus tile."

Zuko grunted out of discontentment before telling the captain to stop at the closest town. The ship changed direction quickly at the prince's order. Suyin couldn't help but feel like the heavens were listening to her. This would allow her to swiftly escape from the ship and, perhaps, rejoin the Avatar. They had, after all, considered themselves her new family. She had to return to them sooner or later.

As if he had read her mind, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to where he could find a rope and tied her wrist to his. Suyin glared at him before asking:

"What are you doing?"

"Obviously you are going to try to run away."

"Of course, genius."

"So I'm not going to let you out of my sight."

"Seriously? We just woke up…"

"We are going to arrive to shore soon and you will try to run right away."

"I don't think I have the energy to run right now."

She sat down, dragging Zuko downwards as well. She watched him fumble and couldn't help but to chuckle. He sat down next to her pretending nothing had happened. His uncle looked at him as his eyes became half-moons, smiling as he hadn't seen his nephew act in such a way in a long time. He was the teenager he was supposed to be for once. Zuko was immature in most of his actions, but he shouldered a lot of responsibilities. He could have had an easy adolescence, but he didn't. It was nice for Iroh to see Zuko behave bashfully once in a while. Suyin was seemingly the only one able to bring out that side of Zuko. Despite the animosity between the two of them, there was much more underneath that layer. There was a silent understanding between the two of them despite all the disagreement they had.

They didn't exchange a word during their trip to the nearby town. Only looks were exchanged. To say that they were bothered by each other's presence would be wrong, but to say otherwise would also be wrong. Suyin was thinking of the best way to run away. Zuko was thinking that he couldn't let her run away. Their thoughts converged despite their clear opposition.

"Prince Zuko, we've arrived." The captain then said, breaking the awkward silence that reigned aboard the ship.

They were so lost in their own thoughts that they didn't even realize they had made it to shore. Zuko stood up abruptly, pulling Suyin towards him. She almost tripped. However, he helped her steady herself. She wanted to thank him, but remembered that she needed his help because he put her into this predicament. He felt bad, but didn't want to apologize.

"Time to look for that lotus tile." Uncle Iroh said gleefully as he stepped into the marketplace.

"I still can't believe we had to stop chasing the Avatar because of this stupid tile." Zuko said.

"It is not stupid. Prince Zuko, someday, you'll understand the value of that tile. Now quit complaining and start looking." His uncle replied.

They spent the whole afternoon looking for the tile. Suyin was just dragged along. Despite that fact, she complained less than Zuko. Finally, they got back to where the ships were docked. Uncle Iroh insisted on visiting the ships to find his beloved lotus tile. Zuko grumbled but still followed his uncle into one of the larger ones. Suyin got bad vibes from that ship. She had no doubts they were pirates, meaning that their belongings were probably stolen. Suyin took a step closer to Zuko and whispered:

"They are pirates. I think that we should leave."

"Tell that to my uncle. He's clearly sucked in by these crooks." Zuko murmured back.

From afar, some of them glared at Zuko and Suyin. They also noticed that she was tied up and dragged along by Zuko. He was observant. To deter them from thinking she was a slave for sale, he grabbed her hand and hid the rope under his sleeve. She tried to pull away, but he didn't allow her to do so.

"What are…" She began.

"They are eying you as if you were for sale. So stop fighting with me." He replied as they sped up towards his uncle.

Before he could tell his uncle that they should leave the boat, he overheard two of the pirates talking about a group of people who would fit the description of the Avatar and his friends. Suyin bit her lower lip as Zuko walked towards them and asked:

"Where did they head off to?"

"I don't know. They stole a priceless water bending scroll from us. Those little brats…"

"We're going after them." Zuko announced as he walked towards the exit.

"Hold on, we want in. We need to get that scroll back from them." The captain of the ship then said, stopping Zuko from leaving.

"Fine. You can have that scroll. We want the people."

"You've got yourself a deal." The captain said as he held out his hand for a shake.

Zuko did not shake his hand. He simply headed out and got onto his own ship, followed by his uncle who hadn't said a word. Suyin also did not say a word. She knew there was no point in discussing it with Zuko. He always had his mind set on catching Aang. It was, after all, the only way for him to return home with honor. She, on the other hand, wanted to use this opportunity to meet up with the gang again. She could leave with them and, therefore, escape from Zuko. As much as she was grateful for all he did, whether it was saving her from Zhao or making sure she was safe from the pirates, they simply couldn't be friends. They were bound to clash at any time. She had to leave, sooner or later.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 9**

* * *

Thank you for reading!

Very sorry about the delays in update. I've just been very busy with other things.

Hope you are enjoying the story so far.

xox

Krystal


	11. Chapter 10: Family Look Alike

Is There a Place in Heaven?

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is a story inspired by the original made up for entertainment purposes only. - Krystal

* * *

Chapter 10: Family Look Alike

* * *

"How do you know they will be somewhere along the river?" The captain of the pirate ship asked Zuko.

"They stole a water bending scroll. Where else would they be?" Zuko simply said, unimpressed by the pirates' wits.

It was at times like this that Suyin couldn't understand why Zuko couldn't clearly think things through about the Avatar. He wasn't dumb. Clearly, he was smarter than the average person. Yet, he still believed that finding the Avatar was his only ticket home. She knew how much he valued peace, yet he wanted to imprison the world's only hope. He spoke against his father's ways, yet followed the path that was set by his father.

"That's the girl!" One of the pirates said, pointing to a small figure by the river.

From afar, Suyin could tell that it was Katara. She tried to yell out to Katara to warn her, but Zuko was a step ahead of her. He covered her mouth and pinned her to the ground. She tried to fight back but he quickly placed a piece of fabric into her mouth to stop her from making any sound. He proceeded by tying her arms together behind her back.

"You should be gentler." Uncle Iroh then told him quietly.

Zuko ignored his comment and ordered the captain to dock the ship so that they could ambush Katara. They did as they were told. He did, after all, help them find who they were looking for. They could now retrieve what they had lost. Suyin could only helplessly look at them. She was frustrated with herself for not being quicker on her feet and allowing them to take action against Katara.

As Zuko and the pirates got off the ship, Uncle Iroh sat down next to Suyin and whispered:

"I'll let you go when the time comes."

She looked at him, perplexed that he would betray his nephew. Uncle Iroh had brought a cup of tea as if he was about to watch a show. He slowly sipped on his tea, savoring the very subtle flavors the tea might have. Unsurprisingly, Katara was captured and tied to a tree. No matter how strong she was, there were just too many of them for her to be able to fight back and escape. Suyin squinted her eyes and could see that Zuko kept pressing her to tell where Aang was. Of course, Katara would shake her head and pretend she didn't know where he was. Zuko kept pacing furiously back and forth in front of her while the others looked around for Aang.

Suyin then turned to Uncle Iroh as he finished his tea and placed it gently back onto the table. He stretched himself and walked over to Suyin. He untied the ropes that held her hands and feet together. She then removed the piece of fabric from her mouth and thanked the old man for his help before disembarking the boat quietly. As she did, she heard Uncle Iroh calling for her name. He was waving her sword from the deck. Once he got her attention, he threw it to her and she caught her weapon with one hand while the other waved him goodbye. As Suyin rushed into the forest to ensure that Zuko and his men wouldn't notice her, she thought about Uncle Iroh and his strange behavior. She never knew what he was thinking exactly. However, she knew that he was different from the rest of the Fire Nation despite his high status.

While she waited for an opening to rescue Katara, Suyin then heard some noises coming from the forest. The pirates had headed back to the river banks with Aang and Sokka all tied up.

"I'm so sorry Aang." Katara then said. "This is all my fault. I put us all in danger for that stupid water bending scroll."

"You sure did…" Sokka replied instead of Aang.

The pirates were now making the exchange with Zuko: Aang for the water bending scroll. As the exchange was about be completed, Sokka yelled out:

"Hold on a minute. You are going to exchange the Avatar for a piece of parchment?"

"This kid is the Avatar?" The captain asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, he's the Avatar!" Sokka said. "Wow, I just saved you from making a bad deal! Imagine all the money the Fire Nation would give you if you brought them the Avatar!"

Aang wasn't quite grasping Sokka's strategy and grew worried of his identity being divulged in such a manner. Suyin readied herself to go in a help. She understood that the moment the pirates and Zuko would be fighting each other, she would be able to head over and helped them escape.

"Keep the scroll." The captain said. "I'll take this one instead."

Angered, Zuko began to fight the pirates in order to get ahold of Aang. It was her cue. She rushed into the scene and cut the ropes that were restricting their movements. Zuko saw her while he was fighting off the pirates. He tried to go over to grab her, but with the surrounding chaos, it just wasn't possible. Before he could even come close, they all ran off, mounted Appa and flew away.

Suyin looked to the grown as Appa was flying above them all. She could tell Zuko was gritting his teeth in anger. She then turned away to look at Aang, Katara and Sokka who were all waiting to give her a welcome-back hug. Family, Sokka had told her. This felt like her family.

"We were so worried about you." Katara said.

"Especially knowing who you are, what you did… Thought they would have sent you to the Fire Nation to be punished." Sokka said.

"I was lucky it was Prince Zuko who caught me and not Zhao. Zhao definitely would have brought me back to the Fire Nation immediately. Zuko can't return without Aang, so he just kept me on his ship until the day he could return."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing Katara stole that scroll after all." Aang said. "It allowed us to all be reunited."

"About that… I'm truly sorry I put everyone in danger. It was foolish of me. I will never, never steal again." Katara said apologetically.

"Speaking of that… I might have taken the scroll amidst all the chaos." Sokka said as he pulled out the scroll from his back.

Katara quickly grabbed it and hugged her brother and whispered: "Unless it's from pirates." It caused everyone to laugh even Suyin who couldn't remember when the last time she heard the sound of her own laughter. It seemed like everybody else thought of the same thing.

"You should laugh more often." Sokka said. "You look pretty when you smile and laugh."

Suyin blushed and looked away. She wasn't used to hearing such things. The last few years, she had been all by herself. She quietly got through everything. Laughter wasn't something she was used to. Compliments were only given to her with regards to her ability to help others.

Seeing how she paused and felt awkward about what he had said, Sokka quickly added:

"I don't like you in that way though!"

"I didn't think so either." Suyin replied.

"But you were blushing…"

"Were you hoping she liked you?" Katara asked teasingly.

"I…" Sokka began.

"I just haven't heard anyone compliment me about how I looked." Suyin then replied. "I guess wearing a mask all the time has that effect. For the longest time, only I knew how I looked like and all I could see were all the scars I had on my body, eyes that were those of the enemies. I can't say I like the way I look, but I told myself that appearances didn't matter. I was wearing a mask anyways. I was doing good deeds. I wasn't looking for people to think that I looked good. I was good."

There was a silence.

"I'm sorry. I really brought the mood down." She then said.

"Man, I feel bad for judging you because you looked like Fire Nation." Sokka said jokingly. "You just looked like a bad guy, you never looked bad."

"But if anything, you look like us more than you look like them." Aang then concluded. "And I think we look pretty good together."

She smiled and they all went in for a hug once again. She truly was now with her family; one who cares for her well-being, who truly accepts her for who she is and who loves her. She returned the same sentiments. Nothing would be able to break their bond apart, nothing.

* * *

End of Chapter 10

* * *

Thank you for reading!

I know I haven't updated in forever. I must admit that I had a hard time getting back into writing. But here it is. New chapter.

xox

Krystal


End file.
